| Wednesday, February 3, 2021 |
| MSU archaeology professor invites public on summer research trips to 'new and old' worlds | |
 | Jimmy Hardin enrolled at Mississippi State to study archeology in 1986, but his interest in the field probably started years earlier, not in school, but in church. Hardin, now an associate professor at Mississippi State's Cobb Institute of Archaeology, discussed his long archaeological career during Monday's Starkville Rotary Club meeting via Zoom, talking not only about his work in the Middle East, but how his work need not be confined to professional archaeologists. "I've always loved history," Hardin said. "I can remember sitting in church reading (the biblical books of) Kings and Samuel when I probably should have been listening to the sermon." So when, as an MSU freshman, his archeology professor told the class he was going to Israel in the summer and asked the students if they wanted to join him, Hardin was eager to go. "At that time, I hadn't even been on an airplane before," he said. "I thought it was a one-time thing. That was in 1986. I've been going back just about every summer since." Hardin specializes in the Bronze and Iron ages of the Middle East, at a time that coincides with the reign of the Israelite kings, Solomon and David. |
| MSU Greek life is moving and growing | |
 | The Greek life community at Mississippi State University consists of four main divisions: the National Pan-Hellenic Council, the Panhellenic Council, the Interfraternity Council and the Multicultural Greek Council. Two of these councils, the Panhellenic and Interfraternity councils, are experiencing some growth this fall. Sigma Phi Epsilon, or SigEp, a fraternal chapter at MSU since 1938, was removed from campus in 2014 after having their charter revoked. According to a previous Reflector article, the fraternity's charter and house were revoked following hazing violations. They returned to campus in the fall of 2017 and have been working to get their house back ever since. Austin Wesley, a junior electrical engineering major and vice president of communication for SigEp for the 2021 calendar year, joined the chapter in 2018 and said the chapter has been working on rechartering with their alumni association. One of the sororities on campus, Alpha Delta Pi, is currently living in SigEp's fraternity house. They will be moving into their new house which is currently under construction, and SigEp will move back into their house for the first time since the fall semester 2014. This is not the only change that will be happening for sororities this fall, as a new chapter, Alpha Chi Omega, will be joining MSU's Panhellenic community in the fall of 2022. |
| 'The Positive Sip' offers a refreshing take on Mississippi | |
| Born right outside of Atlanta, Mississippi State University's Vice President of Student Affairs Regina Hyatt is a testament to the sentiment that Southern roots run deep. When she was just 8 years old, Hyatt moved to Illinois where she would eventually complete her bachelor's degree and her graduate degrees. So much time away from the South makes her an unlikely Mississippian, but her current position at MSU pulled her to the Magnolia State in 2015. The absence of a Mississippi twang in Hyatt's voice is made up for in an abundance of enthusiasm as she expressed the hopeful perspective of Mississippi she has gained. "I think what I believe is that Mississippi has a richness to it that is really centered in the spirit and the stories of the people here. That richness doesn't get seen outside of this place for a whole lot of reasons, and of course, sometimes Mississippi doesn't help itself. The reality is there are so many people here that are working really hard to make Mississippi a place that everybody can thrive ... That's the story that the world needs to know about here. I think maybe not having grown up here I can see it slightly differently in terms of realizing how special it is," Hyatt said. It was not long before Hyatt decided she had to have a hand in this storytelling herself. She began to dream of starting a podcast focused on highlighting Mississippi leaders and the hope they bring to their state. |
| Starkville's new tourism director outlines plan for bringing visitors back to the city | |
 | College baseball season will get underway for Mississippi State during the middle of February but with seating restrictions in Dudy Noble Field down to just 25 percent capacity, the city of Starkville will once again see a drop in tourism-based revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That's one of the challenges facing Paige Hunt, Starkville's newly appointed Director of Tourism. "Mississippi State events are one of the main draws, if not the main draw to bring visitors to Starkville," she said. "With the pandemic and the restrictions, those events maybe don't look the same as they once did." Unable to solely rely on fans in the stands for MSU sporting events, the newest member of the Greater Starkville Development Partnership is focused on finding other ways to bring people back to the city. "Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic," Hunt said. "The state of Mississippi had a record year, with over 24 million visitors spending more than $6 billion. So in a in a community like Starkville, those visitors really do make a difference." A 20-year veteran of the tourism industry who grew up in Starkville, Hunt says there are plenty of positives on the horizon. "Starkville's position as Mississippi's college town really sets us up," she said. "We have an already engaged visitor base with our Mississippi State alumni base. And I think that folks feel more comfortable coming to smaller communities." |
| Oktibbeha County starts redistricting process | |
| Oktibbeha County supervisors on Monday contracted with the Golden Triangle Planning and Development District for redistricting services, the same group that led that work for the county 10 years ago. Redistricting is a process that follows the U.S. Census every 10 years and redraws the lines of representation within a particular entity -- in this case the five county supervisor and the three justice court districts -- according to federal guidelines. Toby Sanford with GTPDD told supervisors Monday there could be no more than a 10-percent difference between the least- and most-populated district. If the current district lines fall within those parameters according to the 2020 Census, he said, the county would not have to redistrict. Oktibbeha County's population, though, grew by nearly 2,000 residents according to 2019 estimates, the only county to show growth in Sanford's coverage area (which also includes Lowndes, Clay, Noxubee, Choctaw, Winston and Webster), he said. "If you grow by that estimated number, ... it's almost guaranteed you'll have to redistrict," he said. |
| Nissan suspends truck production at Canton plant due to chip shortage | |
 | Nissan is reducing truck production at its Canton plant because of a global shortage of semiconductor chips. The Japanese auto company has made short-term changes starting with three nonproduction days of trucks at the Canton facility, according to Reuters. A semiconductor chip is a tiny electric circuit that performs control and memory functions ranging in products from cellphones and laptops to microwaves and cars. The automotive industry uses semiconductor chips for electronic features like Bluetooth connectivity, navigation and driver assistance. The global shortage has forced other major car companies to slow down and even halt car production including Ford, Volkswagen, Toyota and Fiat Chrysler, according to ABC News. Semiconductor companies diverted production during the pandemic to consumer products like laptops for those working and learning at home, especially since automotive sales were down, according to ABC News. |
| Commission could soon approve state's largest solar facility in Scott County | |
| The Mississippi Public Service Commission is one step closer to approving a new solar facility in Scott County that could be the biggest in the state after issuing an order at its monthly meeting Tuesday. The PSC voted to refer the matter to Central District Commissioner Brent Bailey for a hearing, report and recommendation on the 175 megawatt solar facility, known as the Pearl River Solar Park. The facility will require an initial investment of $235 million and it will be owned by EDP Renewables North America, an energy firm based in Houston. The facility will be built on 1,760 acres in northwest Scott County just over the line from Rankin County. According to filings from EDP with the commission, the electricity customer for the solar farm has yet to be determined, but the company is in discussions with potential customers. Both of the state's investor-owned utilities are building solar facilities. Entergy received approval in April 2020 from the commission for a 100 megawatt solar farm on 1,000 acres in the Mississippi Delta's Sunflower County that is scheduled to go online by 2022. Mississippi Power has three solar facilities with a total of 150 megawatts of capacity, with one located in Hattiesburg, another in Sumrall and the last in Lauderdale County near Meridian. |
| Coronavirus in Mississippi: 791 cases, 26 deaths reported Wednesday | |
 | The Mississippi State Department of Health reported 791 new cases of the coronavirus and 26 coronavirus-related deaths on Wednesday. Since the virus hit the state in March, a total of 277,322 cases and 6,158 coronavirus-related deaths have been reported. January saw the most deaths in a single month in the state, with 1,240 coronavirus-related deaths. The single-day record of 98 deaths was reported Jan. 12. On Jan. 7, the state reported a single-day record of 3,255 new cases of the coronavirus. The department reported Tuesday, the latest numbers available, there were 898 hospitalizations of confirmed cases, with 262 in intensive care and 152 on ventilators. State health officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs tweeted Tuesday about several vaccination options including Mississippi State Department of Health drive-thru clinics, private clinics and select Walmart pharmacies will soon offer the vaccine. |
| Gov. Reeves skeptical of President Biden's plan addressing vaccine disparity | |
 | Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said Tuesday that he's skeptical about a new federal effort to reduce racial disparities in COVID-19 vaccination rates. Under the plan developed by President Joe Biden's administration, around 10% of Mississippi's total weekly vaccine allocation will go to federal pharmacy partners like Walmart, CVS or Walgreens, Reeves said. During a news conference Tuesday, the Republican governor said he wonders how successful the program will be in a rural state like Mississippi. "While it's probably true in Washington, D.C. or in New York City that you can walk a block in either direction and run into a Walgreens, or run into a CVS or a Walmart ... in Mississippi, there aren't a lot of Walmarts in Issaquena County, and there aren't a lot of Walmarts in very rural areas," Reeves said. "I'm hopeful that they are correct in their efforts, I will tell you that I am somewhat concerned about those efforts," he continued. Mississippi has now given out more than a quarter of a million doses of the coronavirus vaccine to residents, Reeves said. However, racial disparities have persisted throughout Mississippi's vaccination efforts. |
| Mississippi to partner with Walmart on vaccine distribution via federal program | |
 | Some Mississippians will have the opportunity to book COVID-19 vaccination appointments at select Walmart pharmacies beginning late next week, Gov. Tate Reeves announced during a press conference on Tuesday. Approximately 30 Walmart pharmacies across the state will be activated by Feb. 12, State Health Office Dr. Thomas Dobbs said. MSDH does not yet have a final list of stores, but will post them online in the coming days. Reeves said approximately 10% of the state's total vaccine allotment next week will go to the program. Dobbs anticipates about 6,200 doses will be distributed to the Walmart partner locations during the first week. The Walmart partnership is a result of the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program for COVID-19 vaccination, which is a collaboration between the federal government, states and 21 national pharmacy partners and independent pharmacy networks. Reeves, along with governors across the U.S., spoke with members of President Joe Biden's COVID-19 task force on Tuesday morning to discuss details of the federal partnership. The federal pharmacy program aims to fight racial disparities and target rural areas, Reeves said. While the governor said he is "hopeful that they are correct in their efforts," he remains "somewhat concerned" about the program's effectiveness in reaching rural communities. |
| Gov. Tate Reeves: State could see small increase in COVID-19 vaccine shipment next week | |
 | More COVID-19 vaccine doses could be coming to Mississippi next week, Gov. Tate Reeves said during a news conference Tuesday. Reeves said that according to forecasts on much vaccine supply the state will receive from the federal government on a weekly basis, Mississippi could receive 45,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine next week. "We're working to get more vaccine in our state so we can get it out to our people," he said. Reeves said the number cannot be completely confirmed until Thursday. It was not clear if the increase next week would make more appointments available at the 21 state-run and supported drive-thru vaccination sites throughout Mississippi. State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs said that some pharmacies will also begin receiving vaccines next week. About 6,200 doses will be going to 30 locations across the state that were chosen to begin addressing geographical and racial disparities in vaccinations, he said. A full list of locations has not yet been made available. |
| Racial Disparities in Vaccinations Continue in Mississippi As COVID-19 Declines | |
| Positive signs are emerging in Mississippi's fight against COVID-19, with a continued decline in case transmission and new hospitalizations paired with an increasingly effective vaccination program. But racial disparity in the delivery of the vaccine remains an issue the state has yet to solve. Mississippi is gearing up to receive more vaccine than previously anticipated, with 45,000 doses allocated for next week's shipment, which is significantly higher than the expected 37,000 baseline. So far, Mississippi has delivered over a quarter of a million shots of vaccine -- mostly first doses. Overall, the seven-day rolling average of new cases of COVID-19 has slumped to 1,419, down from an all-time peak of over 2,400 in early January. Hospitalizations, too, are on a steep downward trend, now down to 898 after peaking last month at over 1,444 confirmed infections in the state's hospitals. Deaths, however, remain high as the final lagging indicator of the severity of the pandemic in the state. MSDH reported 76 new fatalities from COVID-19 Tuesday. |
| Mississippi bills still alive: Liquor, guns, pecan theft | |
| Mississippi legislators could allow home delivery of beer, wine and liquor. But they are still holding out against letting grocery stores sell wine. They are looking at ways to ease prison crowding. But they are also considering tougher penalties for people caught stealing pecans --- including prison time. Tuesday was the first big deadline of the 2021 legislative session. It was the final day for House and Senate committees to consider general bills and constitutional amendments filed in their own chamber. Measures that survived the deadline move to the full House or Senate for most debate. There are later deadlines for budget and revenue bills. Here is the status of some general bills: House Bill 1135 and Senate Bill 2804 would allow home delivery of beer, wine and liquor. House Bill 1030 and Senate Bill 2313 would allow college athletes to be compensated for their own name, image and likeness. Senate Bill 2107 would prevent cities and counties from having contracts or rental agreements that restrict possession, sale or transport of firearms or ammunition. It also would prevent many state agencies from putting restrictions on guns; exceptions would be allowed for courts, universities, community colleges and schools. |
| Bill seeks possible jail time for pecan theft | |
| A proposed bill seeks harsher penalties for stealing pecans in Mississippi, which could possibly include jail time. It's part of House Bill 284, written by 12 state representatives with the intent to curb the theft of pecans during harvest season. The bill specifies that any pecans that fall from a tree on private property, even if the pecans fall onto a public road or right-of-way, are the property of the tree's owner. Picking up these pecans would be deemed unlawful, as well as picking any off of the tree's branches, unless given permission by the owner. This would only be the law during harvesting season, which is specified as September 1 to January 31. Any pecans found in a public area when not in harvesting season would be deemed abandoned by the owner. The penalty for stealing pecans during harvesting season would be subject to petty or even grand larceny. The bill also states the offender may be required to pay restitution for any missing pecans. |
| Legislators split over 'use-it-or-lose-it' elections bills | |
| Local representatives are split on a pair of bills being considered in the state Legislature that would require election commissioners to send confirmation notices to voters who have not voted in at least one election within a set number of years and to remove them from the Statewide Elections Management System if they do not respond to the notice. Supporters of the bills -- House Bill 4 and Senate Bill 2588 -- say they would help keep voter rolls up to date and accurate, while opponents, including the Birmingham-based Southern Poverty Law Center, say it violates the National Voter Registration Act and risks purging registered voters from the rolls just for skipping elections. Most local legislators said they haven't read the bills, which were just released from committee along with dozens of other bills currently awaiting approval in the Legislature. However, those who responded to The Dispatch's requests for comment were divided along party lines over the issue, with Republicans saying they like the idea of the bill helping keep the voter rolls up-to-date and Democrats saying they worry about removing electors in violation of voting rights. |
| 'What we're doing right now isn't working': Lawmakers take another swing at criminal justice reform | |
| In 2020, Gov. Tate Reeves vetoed two criminal justice reform bills which would have provided parole eligibility for thousands of people in prison and helped them reenter society through workforce training programs. The governor said last year's measures -- House Bill 658 and Senate Bill 2123 -- were "well-intentioned" but "went too far." Between overcrowding, violence, an ongoing Department of Justice investigation and the coronavirus pandemic, Mississippi's prison crisis still persists. If the Legislature doesn't take action soon, the state is facing potential federal intervention. In Alabama, a similar prison crisis has resulted in taxpayers facing a $1 billion bill to meet federal mandates to fix the system. In Mississippi, the Legislature is trying this year to pass new criminal justice reform measures to expand parole eligibility and reentry programs for people in the state's prisons. With over 17,000 people incarcerated in Mississippi, the state has the second-highest incarceration rate of all 50 states in the U.S., which is "due in large part to Mississippi's parole laws, which are among the most restrictive in the nation," according to the FWD.us report on parole in Mississippi. |
| Mississippi considers longer postpartum Medicaid coverage | |
| Mississippi legislators are trying to improve the health of new mothers and their babies by allowing women who are enrolled in Medicaid to keep that coverage for up to a year after giving birth -- an increase from the current limit of 60 days. Lawmakers are considering a slew of changes to the state's Medicaid program that would take effect in July. Medicaid is a health insurance program for the needy, with costs paid by the state and federal governments. Mississippi legislators have to reauthorize the state's Medicaid program every few years, and they usually consider some changes while they are keeping it alive. A bill in the Senate would expand postpartum coverage for pregnant women, require Medicaid to reimburse for telehealth services provided by federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics and order the managed care organizations that run Medicaid to implement programs to improve the health of members diagnosed with diabetes, among many other changes. |
| Senate committee passes medical marijuana bill, while awaiting fate of Initiative 65 | |
 | Lawmakers on the Senate Finance Committee have passed a medical marijuana bill called the Mississippi Medical Cannabis Act. The measure makes medical marijuana available to those with debilitating and chronic diseases. Senate Bill 2765 delegates responsibility for regulating the program to the state Department of Agriculture. Republican Senator Kevin Blackwell of Southaven authored the bill. "So under these regulations there are guidelines. It's got to be grown in doors. It'll basically be hydroponics and there's going to be quality checks. There's going to be tagging from seed to sell of the product," said Blackwell. But in November more than 70 percent of Mississippians voted for Initiative 65, a constitutional amendment to make medical marijuana legal. Initiative 65 requires the state health department administer the program. Right now the fate of Initiative 65 is before the Mississippi Supreme Court. The mayor of Madison is challenging whether the signatures collected were legal. |
| Failure to expand Medicaid cost Mississippi $7 billion, group says | |
| Dr. Tim Alford knew that Mississippians were struggling to get health care before he began working in the emergency room in this small town five years ago. It's far worse than he thought, said the longtime family physician and past president of the Mississippi State Medical Association. "People are not being able to get their primary care, so they default to the emergency room. People are flocking here because so many people are locked out of the system." More than one in five Mississippians don't have health insurance, one of the highest percentages of uninsured in the U.S. The five highest are all Southern states, none of which has expanded Medicaid, except Oklahoma, where the expansion starts in July. "The emergency room is the wrong place for people to get primary care," Alford said. "It's wrong in every way." For starters, there's the cost. The same hospital services may run 10 times higher in an emergency room. The relationship between a medical care provider and the patient is a key to good primary care, and that's difficult in an emergency room, Alford said. "Emergency rooms have their place, but the operative word is 'emergency' and not primary care." |
| Will Gov. Tate Reeves, polling poorly after one year in office, draw a serious GOP challenger in 2023? | |
| A recent poll showing Gov. Tate Reeves underwater with voters at his one-year mark in office had something of a political blood-in-the-water effect, prompting much discussion among politicos in recent days of potential GOP primary challengers when 2023 rolls around. Last month's poll reported Reeves is "hemorrhaging support among voters at the close of his first year in office," with 34% of Mississippi voters approving of his performance and nearly 50% disapproving. This shows a sea change -- his net approval declined from +28 points in June 2020 to -15 in January 2021 -- mostly driven by low marks for his handling of the pandemic. Now in politics, the saying goes that a week is a lifetime. Two and a half years? That's like a millennium. Pandemics end. Voter attitudes change. Challengers get cold feet. And at this point, talk is cheap. Challenging an incumbent, well-funded Republican governor in a primary is a heavy lift. "If you go back and look at the history of all 50 states, you will find maybe one, two or three incumbent Republican governors who lost in their primary," said Austin Barbour, a national and state GOP strategist. "A sitting governor is almost impossible to beat in a Republican primary. Whether someone thinks Tate Reeves is popular or unpopular -- it's a long time until election day, and history is on his side." |
| Former Mississippi U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst joins Phelps | |
| Mike Hurst, the immediate past U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi, has become a litigation partner at Phelps, the firm announced. Hurst served as U.S. Attorney from 2017 until early this year. Under his leadership, the Southern District of Mississippi increased prosecutions by 178%, almost tripling the number from just three years earlier, while saving American taxpayers over $1.7 million. At Phelps, Hurst will handle both civil and criminal litigation, putting his years of experience before judges and juries to work. While based in Mississippi, he will be involved in litigation matters for clients throughout the Gulf South. Prior to 2017, Hurst served for more than eight years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi, as Director of the Mississippi Justice Institute, as General Counsel for the Mississippi Center for Public Policy, as Legislative Director to a U.S. Congressman, as Counsel to the House Judiciary Committee, and in private practice. He is a graduate of George Washington University Law School, Millsaps College, and East Central Community College. |
| Tom Vilsack nomination to lead USDA approved by Senate Ag Committee | |
 | The Senate Agriculture Committee on Tuesday advanced the nomination of Tom Vilsack for Agriculture secretary, setting the former Iowa governor up for a quick Senate confirmation. The committee approved Vilsack by voice vote just off the Senate floor hours after holding an overwhelmingly friendly confirmation hearing. Vilsack is expected to be easily confirmed by the full Senate in the coming days. Vilsack served eight years as USDA secretary in the Obama administration. His nomination came under fire from some progressive groups, who criticized his record on civil rights. But he pledged Tuesday to carry through on the president's climate and racial justice goals. |
| U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith votes to advance nomination of Tom Vilsack to lead USDA | |
 | U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) Tuesday voted to advance the nomination of former Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to assume that same position within the Biden Administration. Hyde-Smith serves on the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, which conducted a confirmation hearing Tuesday on the Vilsack nomination, and subsequently voted to refer the nomination to the full Senate for consideration. "Tom Vilsack clearly understands the complexities of American agriculture, from the needs of small farming operations, to the implications of trade decisions, and its undeniable importance to the health and wellbeing of all Americans," Hyde-Smith said. "I've worked with Secretary Vilsack while I was the Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce, and expect we can work well together to promote Mississippi's agricultural and nutrition interests." At the confirmation hearing, Hyde-Smith addressed two current issues to Mississippi agriculture -- a steep rise in fertilizer costs and expanding markets for forestry and wood products. |
| Sens. Cory Booker and Raphael Warnock bring social justice goals to Agriculture panel | |
 | The Senate Agriculture Committee will get two new Democratic members who are likely to try to hold the Biden administration to its pledge to address federal policies that adversely affect Black communities and other minorities. Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Raphael Warnock of Georgia, who are both Black, have called for fairer Agriculture Department policies to aid small or minority farmers. Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., announced the Senate Agriculture Committee's roster Tuesday. Booker, Warnock and Sen. Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M., are the panel's three new Democratic members. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., will be chairwoman. Warnock defeated Agriculture Committee member Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., in a December runoff. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., is also no longer on the committee. Warnock said during his campaign that he would fight for Georgia agriculture, an important industry in the state. Warnock's platform also called for leveling "the playing field for Black and minority farmers by expanding access to capital for equipment and financial resources and ending discriminatory policies at the federal level that limit opportunities." |
| White House open to narrowing who qualifies for stimulus checks but keeping payments at $1,400 per person | |
 | The White House is open to narrowing eligibility for the next round of stimulus payments but not lowering those payments below $1,400 per person, according to a White House spokeswoman. Congressional Republicans and even some centrist Democrats have in recent days raised concerns that President Biden's proposal to send another round of stimulus checks would give government aid to affluent Americans who do not need it. Biden has publicly expressed willingness to negotiate the stimulus payments, which under Democrats' current plans would begin to diminish at $75,000 for individuals and couples making $150,000 a year. Biden is also aiming to provide $1,400 per every adult and child under that threshold, on top of the $600 per adult and child approved by Congress in December. One proposal discussed by senior Democrats includes lowering the threshold for the payments to begin phasing out above $50,000 for single taxpayers, $75,000 for people who file as the heads of households, and $100,000 for married couples, according to two people granted anonymity to discuss internal planning. These people stress that the conversations are fluid and legislation has not been finalized. |
| President Biden Wants a $15 Minimum Wage. Here's What People Say It Would Do to the Economy. | |
 | President Biden says his proposal to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour will lift many low-wage workers out of poverty, but some businesses and economists warn it could cost jobs as the U.S. recovers from pandemic layoffs. Mr. Biden endorses a plan to more than double the wage in steps over four years, noting that at $15 an hour, a job could support a family of four and it wouldn't live in poverty. The president's advisers also say raising the wage from $7.25 an hour, where it has stood since 2009, would show gratitude to essential workers at grocery stores and warehouses who stayed on the job during the coronavirus pandemic and would boost the economy by allowing low-wage workers to spend more. Economists are divided on the effects of the $15 minimum wage. Some have looked at the patchwork of state and local increases and found little job loss relative to nearby areas with lower minimums. But others say jobs losses tied to a $15 minimum wage could be more severe, especially in states with a relatively low cost of living. The impact would be felt in more rural states, such as Mississippi, the opponents say. Half of all workers there earned $15 an hour or less in 2019, according to the Labor Department. That includes dishwashers, cashiers, firefighters and construction laborers. |
| Gulf grows between GOP's Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy | |
 | The gulf between the two top Republicans on Capitol Hill grew even wider this week after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) took the unusual step of plunging into a pair of controversies that House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) is struggling to contain in the lower chamber. In the span of an hour, McConnell issued two separate statements, one condemning the "loony" conspiracy theories of first-term Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), a follower of the pro-Trump QAnon movement; the other praising Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) as she faces backlash from former President Trump loyalists after her vote to impeach the 45th president. Those dynamics have created a rare and growing rift between the top GOP leaders across chambers at the very moment when Republicans are trying to unite against the ambitious legislative agenda of the new Democratic president, Joe Biden. Both the Greene and Cheney issues have created migraines for McCarthy, a close Trump ally caught between the House Republicans still defending the former president following the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol and those warning that only a clean break from the mercurial Trump will save the Republican Party from devouring itself. McConnell's extraordinary decision to insert himself into those debates -- and to do it so aggressively -- not only places him squarely in the latter camp, but also applies enormous pressure on McCarthy to join him there. |
| Pentagon clears out advisory boards, citing concerns over last-minute Trump picks | |
 | Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has dismissed every member of the Pentagon's advisory boards in a sweeping move fueled by concern that the Trump administration had rushed through a series of last-minute appointments, defense officials said Tuesday. The move affects several hundred members of about 40 advisory boards, including dozens of people who had been named to the posts in the closing days of former President Donald Trump's tenure. Among those who were dismissed are highly partisan figures such as Corey Lewandowski, Trump's 2016 presidential campaign manager; David Bossie, a former Trump deputy campaign manager; Republican former House Speaker Newt Gingrich; and retired Army Brig. Gen. Anthony Tata. Instead of singling out Trump appointees, the move applies to all board members, including those appointed before Trump's presidency. The advisory boards, whose members are not paid, offer guidance to the Defense Department about policy, science, business and numerous other topics. To make way for new pro-Trump loyalists, the Trump White House in some cases removed longtime board members. |
| Outdoor classes give students a breath of fresh air | |
| Auburn University has adjusted some in-person courses to be delivered in outdoor classrooms rather than regular, indoor classrooms because of safety concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic as more students return to campus this semester. Asim Ali, executive director for the Biggio Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning, said the Office of the Provost has been looking at different ways classes can be delivered while also keeping students as safe as possible. "In the summer, the provost's office funded about $140,000 in proposals from faculty to buy technology equipment and creatively deliver learning virtually for labs and other classes that have hands-on learning," Ali said. "Late fall, several faculty requested a way to teach outdoors, and the provost's office and the Biggio Center worked with Facilities [Management] and the registrar's office to identify ways to implement the request." Each outdoor classroom is set up to allow students to attend classes in person while also maintaining social distancing recommendations. Ali said most outdoor classrooms are set up for less than 40 students, so staying six feet apart should not be challenging. |
| U. of Tennessee testing shows COVID-19 positivity rate under 1% | |
 | COVID-19 data at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville is looking promising this spring, with more frequent testing and the ability to catch asymptomatic students early. The positivity rate on campus is currently less than 1%, said Dr. Spencer Gregg, director of the Student Health Center. Community saliva testing has been increased this semester and was able to catch a COVID-19 cluster and identify asymptomatic students. "Our saliva testing program has allowed us to identify students, both on and off campus, who are positive and asymptomatic," Gregg said. "Had they not been participating in our saliva program, both the on and off campus students would not have been aware. Just the cluster we announced early this morning ... that's an example of where this saliva testing program allowed us to identify folks that, had they not participated, they would not have known that they were positive." UT identified its third COVID-19 cluster on Tuesday morning that came from an off-campus gathering on North Forest Park Boulevard. The cluster includes nine COVID-19 cases and six close contacts, UT spokesperson Owen Driskill said. The people who were in the cluster are now in isolation and quarantine. |
| Arkansas lawmaker pushes a bill so bad it should be banned | |
| House Bill 1218 by Rep. Mark Lowery (R-Maumelle) earns the dubious distinction of being one of the worst pieces of legislation at the Arkansas Capitol this year. This modern-day-book-burning law would cut funding for any public schools and universities that did their job of making students think about hard things. Specifically, HB 1218 would prohibit any public funding of schools, colleges and universities that "allow" classes, activities, or events that "promote" social justice for a race, gender, religion or class. f our legislators are willing to put partisanship aside and vote based on reason and logic, this bill should quickly and easily fail in committee. HB 1218 would hinder college recruitment, further the "brain drain" out of Arkansas, and negatively impact economic development. You know that unfortunate but pervasive stereotype of Arkansans as being backward, dumb (or at least uneducated), bigoted and lazy? This bill would do more to perpetuate that offensive and inaccurate depiction of our state than anything since the nation was shocked and angered by images of white mobs taunting and threatening nine Black children who were attempting to enter Little Rock Central High School in 1957. |
| Presentation on telepresence tech wins Texas A&M's Three Minute Thesis competition | |
 | Amin Davoodi's presentation about how robot-assisted learning can help home-bound students earned him the two highest awards in Texas A&M's Three Minute Thesis competition. The doctoral student is the first person from the College of Education and Human Development and the first Iranian student ever to win the 3MT competition at A&M. He also walked away with the People's Choice award, which was based on a poll of virtual attendees, rather than the decision of the five official judges made up of people from the university campus and greater Bryan-College Station community. The awards came with a total of $1,500 in prize money for Davoodi. Giving the presentation in English, which is Davoodi's second language and one he taught himself, was challenging, but he said it felt great to have earned the honor. He added that he's happy to have been the first from his college to win the award so he can help highlight his field. "Unfortunately, educational research doesn't receive as much attention as it deserves," Davoodi said on Tuesday, pointing out that many past winners in the competition were from science and engineering backgrounds. "It's good to be able to help people to pay attention to education research as well." |
| U. of Missouri employees may bring guns to campus, but there's a catch | |
 | Employees of the University of Missouri System may bring their guns to campus after a ruling by the Western District Court of Appeals on Tuesday. At issue was whether a university rule for all campuses was at odds with a state statute focused on state employees. Since the university is a public university, faculty and staff are state employees. The rule prohibits possession and discharge of weapons, firearms and explosives on campuses, including farms, except for those using them in the line of duty, such as campus police. The state statute says that state employees cannot be prohibited from having a gun on state property, so long as the firearm is in a locked vehicle and cannot be seen. Boone County Circuit Court Judge Jeff Harris ruled in November 2019 that the university rule did not conflict with state law. The appeals court reversed that ruling. The circuit court now will have to review this part of the case based on the appeals court ruling. Expert witnesses at the Boone County court proceedings supported continued usage of the university rule for student and staff safety. There had to be a compelling reason for the rule, such as safety. Even the state's expert witness Dr. Carlisle Moody, statistician from the University of William and Mary. |
| Colleges Add More In-Person Classes For Spring, Amid High Risk Of Coronavirus Spread | |
 | Last week, Ayiana Davis Polen finally set foot on the campus of Spelman College --- a historically Black liberal arts school for women in Atlanta. She's a freshman there but had started her college experience last fall taking classes from her bedroom in Puerto Rico. Back then, she wasn't sure if it felt like college -- but then again, she had nothing to compare it with. Now, she's about to. Spelman, like many colleges across the U.S., is beefing up its in-person offerings for the spring semester. For Davis Polen, that meant there was a spot for her in a dorm on the picturesque campus. "It's pretty nice," she said Friday, as she settled into her single room. "I definitely feel the difference, because there's new people all around me. Obviously it's going to have certain restrictions, but I think I'll start to get an idea of college." More than a quarter of colleges are offering in-person components this spring, according to new data from the College Crisis Initiative, or C2i, published in The Chronicle of Higher Education. Smaller institutions are more likely to be in person, as are private four-year colleges. Public universities and community colleges are much more likely to be online. The data show that about 40% of colleges are primarily online in the spring, though about 25% of schools in the dataset are listed as "undetermined." |
| New variant leads to stay-at-home order at U. of Michigan | |
 | University of Michigan students are now under a stay-at-home order from the college administration after a recommendation from its county health department due to a cluster of cases of one of the new COVID-19 variants, called B.1.1.7. The new variant, first observed in Britain, has now been reported in 32 states and 467 people. Experts have suggested that B.1.1.7 transmits more efficiently and rapidly than previously observed types of the novel coronavirus. British experts have also suggested that the variant may be more deadly. As of Jan. 27, 14 people at Michigan have been infected with the B.1.1.7 variant. In the United States, B.1.1.7 has not caused a major revision of health protocols. American colleges on the whole are still planning to bring back more students than they did last semester and to hold more in-person classes. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that B.1.1.7 could be the dominant strain causing U.S. cases by March. The University of Michigan and its approach to the cluster may be a bellwether of things to come for American institutions. |
| More hate crimes led to increased Black student enrollment at HBCUs | |
| Rises in state-level hate crimes can drive Black students to enroll at historically Black colleges and universities, according to a new study of hate crime and enrollment data. Experts say the findings illustrate the extensive work left to be done at predominantly white colleges to ensure students of color feel safe and welcomed. The study linked increases in hate crimes reported at the state level to a 20 percent increase in Black students' first-time enrollment at HBCUs within those states, according to the study, which analyzed documented hate crimes and enrollment data from the U.S. Department of Education from 1999 to 2017. The study, a working paper published by the Stanford University Center for Education Policy Analysis last month, builds upon previous qualitative research about the impact that national social and political climate can have on Black students' college decisions, and concluded that more incidences of hate crimes -- whether they are racially motivated or not -- can predict increased Black attendance at HBCUs. Dominique Baker, a professor of education policy at Southern Methodist University and a co-author of the study, said the research cannot define a "causal relationship" between state hate crimes and Black student enrollment at HBCUs. But there were distinct increases in HBCU enrollment in states where hate crimes rose over the two-decade period that non-HBCUs did not experience, Baker said. |
| 'The Cops Won't Touch Me': Student Who Joined Capitol Mob Faces Federal Charges | |
 | In the videos and photographs from that horrific day, Vitali GossJankowski is smiling. The 31-year-old Gallaudet University student, after years of posting pro-Trump messages on Facebook, stormed the U.S. Capitol with an unruly mob on January 6. He is shown wearing black sunglasses and a blue ski jacket, and -- in a video immortalized online in the days immediately after the assault -- gleefully waving a stun gun. The internet labeled him #taserguy, #bluestungunguy, and #taserterrorist. "The cops won't touch me," he wrote in a since-deleted Facebook post. "Lol." GossJankowski's bravado proved to be misplaced. He was arrested on January 18 and faces federal criminal charges for "violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds" and "using or carrying a dangerous weapon." He is not the only college student facing federal charges in the rioting. Gracyn Dawn Courtright, a senior at the University of Kentucky, has also been charged. In the pecking order of right-wing terrorism, people like GossJankowski exist at the bottom. He neither holds influence, nor is he a prominent member of any extremist group. He has no large social-media following. GossJankowski is a disinformation consumer. |
| Democrats and higher education groups oppose Republican COVID-19 plan | |
| A top Democrat on education issues said the first proposal put out by some Republicans to find a bipartisan proposal to provide more coronavirus relief would not do enough for higher education. The comments by Representative Bobby Scott, the Virginia Democrat who chairs the House education committee, came as President Biden reportedly rejected a proposal by a group of 10 Republican senators as too small. Though Biden did not close the door on further negotiations with Republicans, he urged Democratic senators to go ahead with trying to pass the $1.9 trillion package he proposed, three times larger than the $618 billion proposed by the group of Republicans. While the Republicans have said the price tag of Biden's proposal is too high, Scott called the Republican proposal a "drop in the bucket" during an hourlong interview with education reporters Tuesday. "Obviously a lot is going to get dropped out. Not just COVID relief checks but aid to everything," he said during the call sponsored by the Education Writers Association. "Support for higher education, instead of being enhanced under that proposal, will be diminished." The proposal was blasted by associations, including the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. |
| Would income tax cuts really spur job growth? | |
| Syndicated columnist Bill Crawford writes: Nice, propitiatory (there's that word again) State of the State address by Gov. Tate Reeves last week. He spoke of Mississippians' grit, pride and faith. He talked of his personal goal to cultivate more empathy. "We must love our neighbors as ourselves," he said. "Above all we have to understand that every Mississippian -- every American -- is on the same team." He continued saying, "For me, that means looking out for those who need extra help. It means being honest with people -- admitting what I don't know and working to be better. It means diligently working to make Mississippi an even more welcoming, prosperous state." "I'm incredibly lucky that I'm not in it alone. None of us are. We're surrounded by a legion of fellow Mississippians. People who care about you. People who want you to succeed, because they know we will all rise together. If we can just harness that, we can accomplish anything." Now, will his policy priorities match his rhetoric? |
| Jewish legal scholar's memoir recalls 1970s sojourn from the Bronx to Mississippi | |
| Syndicated columnist Sid Salter writes: Professor Howard Ball, the distinguished political science scholar, first came into my orbit on Sept. 10, 1976, when he was 39 and I was 17 during my senior year of high school. The burly, bearded Ball was part of a high school football officiating crew calling a game between the Philadelphia High Tornadoes and the Neshoba Central Rockets. I was a PHS lineman in that game. "Where did this Yankee ref come from?" I thought, along with many of my teammates. It was a rivalry game, hard fought and always on the edge of becoming a brawl. Ball kept control of the game, physically interposing himself between post-whistle combatants and making it clear who was in charge on the field. Fast forward three years to the 1979 spring semester at Mississippi State University. The professor arrived that first day to teach PS 3073 Constitutional Law, wrote his name on the blackboard, and I instantly recognized the voice -- the Yankee ref. I soon learned that he was as much in control in the classroom as he had been on the gridiron. |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State baseball coach Chris Lemonis analyzes preseason position battles | |
| Rarely does a college baseball coach have his entire lineup flushed out and penned down in Sharpie going into the first week of the season. Mississippi State coach Chris Lemonis definitely doesn't. The Bulldogs lost some key starters from last year's team, one that was trending very much in the right direction before the season was abruptly stopped because of the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, middle infielders Jordan Westburg and Justin Foscue, both of whom were selected in the 2020 MLB Draft, won't be easy to replace. "I'm always concerned with that when I have to fill out the lineup card," Lemonis said. "You don't have two guys like that very often in your career. Replacing them will be tough." Sophomore Kamren James is slotted to fill in for Westburg at shortstop, and graduate transfer Scotty Dubrule is the top candidate to slide into second for Foscue. James has played in 15 games as a Bulldog, and Dubrule has played zero. Dubrule played in 197 games at Jacksonville University and currently sits No. 2 in the NCAA among active players in hits with 249. If Dubrule's prowess at the plate translates to Mississippi State, then Lemonis and the Bulldogs will breathe a huge sigh of relief. |
| Arkansas beats cold-shooting Mississippi State 61-45 | |
| Justin Smith scored 10 points and had 10 rebounds as Arkansas cruised to a 61-45 victory over Mississippi State on Tuesday night. Arkansas (14-5, 6-4 Southeastern Conference) ended its six-game losing streak against Mississippi State (10-9, 4-6). Connor Vanover and Moses Moody scored 13 points apiece to lead the Razorbacks. Davonte Davis added 10 points and eight rebounds. Smith, a graduate transfer from Indiana, is 10 points shy of a career 1,000. Tolu Smith led Mississippi State with 10 points and five rebounds. D.J. Stewart Jr. had eight points and five steals. The Bulldogs finished 15-of-49 (31%) shooting with 26 turnovers. They missed 14 3-pointers (5 of 19) and eight free throws (10 of 18). Arkansas, which has won four of its last five games, hosts Texas A&M on Saturday. Mississippi State has lost four of five and plays at South Carolina on Saturday. |
| Sources: SWAC power Alcorn State opting out of spring season | |
| Among the first spring COVID-19 coronavirus cancellations of a football season has arrived. Southwestern Athletic Conference powerhouse Alcorn State, hardly the only school in that league battling the spread of the pandemic virus that has plagued the globe since the earliest days of 2020 as Deion Sanders' Jackson State program also has dealt with coronavirus issues in recent days and weeks, is opting out of its 2021 season, sources confirmed to FootballScoop. The Braves, defending conference champions and in a tear of six-straight divisional titles, the last four under head coach Fred McNair, have been in discussions for several days on punting their spring season. Amidst concerns for the virus, as well as the rural nature of the traditional HBCU school in Lorman, Mississippi, players and school leaders in recent days worked together to solidify their intention to have Alcorn "opt-out" of the never-before-seen spring campaign. McNair, a multiple coach of the year recipient who also starred for the Braves as a player in the 1990s and also logged time professionally, visited last month with FootballScoop. McNair praised his players' efforts, but the renowned players'-first coach also has made clear throughout the COVID-19 pandemic that he placed his players' and coaches' health and safety above all competitive elements. |
| Jackson State, Deion Sanders to be subject of Barstool Sports documentary | |
| Jackson State football coach Deion Sanders will be the subject of a documentary series that will follow his first year as the Tigers' head coach. Co-produced by Michael Strahan's SMAC Entertainment and Barstool Sports, the series will focus on "Sanders' mission to level the playing field for Jackson State while showcasing the rich diversity, tradition and culture only experienced at an HBCU." The series will premiere on Barstool in the spring as a premium offering. Sportswriter and documentarian Mark W. Wright will direct and serve as showrunner. "I am so unbelievably excited to share our journey as we aspire to level the playing field and raise awareness for Jackson State University and all HBCUs," Sanders said in a statement. "I am equally proud to have Barstool Sports join me as the distribution partner to help carry out this vision and dream of mine. I BELIEVE." Sanders has a prior relationship with Barstool Sports. Sanders' podcast, 21st and Prime, is a Barstool production. This will be the first longform series produced by Barstool. |
| EA Sports bringing back college football game, and, in the process, broke the Internet | |
 | It's finally happening. EA Sports announced Tuesday, via social media, it is bringing back its popular college football game for the first time since 2013. Daryl Holt, EA Sports vice president and general manager, confirmed to ESPN "EA Sports College Football" will return but no timetable is set for the game to drop. "As we look for the momentum that we're building on in sports, it all starts with the passion of our fans and the opportunities of what they are interested in," Holt said told ESPN. "I don't think a visit where I go outside wearing a piece of EA Sports branded apparel, that someone doesn't go, 'Hey, when is college football coming back?'" The issue of names, images and likenesses -- which were, in part, a reason the game was discontinued -- are still very much hurdles that need to be cleared. EA Sports, per the report, has partnered with CLC -- a collegiate licensing company -- to begin production for FBS schools, traditions, uniforms and playbooks. There will be more than 100 teams in the game. |
| Texas A&M to increase capacity at Blue Bell Park with three temporary grandstands | |
| Texas A&M is adding temporary grandstands to Blue Bell Park to allow for an increased capacity this season that accommodates current safety protocols enacted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A&M will add three temporary grandstand structures: one on each of the grass berms along the first- and third-base lines and a third adjacent to the right-field fence. The Aggies will open the season with a three-game nonconference series against Xavier beginning at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 19. |
| Vanderbilt basketball game at Texas A&M postponed due to COVID-19 | |
| Vanderbilt's basketball game at Texas A&M on Wednesday has been postponed due to a combination of positive COVID-19 tests, contact tracing and subsequent quarantining within the Aggies program, the SEC announced. A make-up date has not been determined. It's the second time a Vanderbilt-Texas A&M game has been postponed. The Jan. 20 game in Nashville wasn't played because of COVID-19 within the Vanderbilt program. The Commodores (5-8, 1-6 SEC) beat South Carolina 93-81 last week for their first SEC win. They will play at Georgia on Saturday (noon, SEC Network). |
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